{"id":11231,"date":"2015-11-25T16:35:11","date_gmt":"2015-11-26T00:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/?p=11231"},"modified":"2015-11-30T11:09:49","modified_gmt":"2015-11-30T19:09:49","slug":"why-camp-camp-is-a-vehicle-for-developing-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/why-camp-camp-is-a-vehicle-for-developing-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Camp? Camp is a vehicle for developing leaders!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IDEAS_WhyCamp_1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Why Camp? Camp is a vehicle for developing leaders!<\/strong>
\nBy Peter Fraser<\/em><\/p>\n

PNW Camps are Petri dishes of leadership. Instead of growing microorganisms, they contain a perfect culture for growing leaders. Leadership development is at the core of our conference foci. The vision of the Camping Board of Stewards is that \u201cCamping and Retreat Ministries in the PNW Conference will be at the forefront of making disciples of Jesus Christ and raising up Christian leaders for the transformation of the world.\u201d While we are a work in progress, there is much happening now to help with this vision.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There is an active growing culture of servant leadership that underlies everything we do. During our summer camping season, staff and volunteers serve in various roles: lifeguards, kitchen workers, waterfront supervisors, cabin leaders, maintenance helpers, music and worship leaders, craft leaders, deans, camp pastors, camp nurses, and challenge course coordinators. <\/p>\n

We have a week-long program where applicants between the ages of 15 and 18 are trained to be Leaders In Training (L.I.T). These L.I.T.\u2019s are then paired up with experienced leaders to serve at our four PNW camps as co-cabin leaders, practicing what they have learned. Over and over again, these L.I.T.\u2019s grow into visible leaders at camp and in their local churches. <\/p>\n

During camp weeks, leadership is grown when staff and volunteers come together to discuss issues from the day. These are valuable opportunities to make adjustments, gain wisdom, share ideas, pray and encourage one another (and eat Red Vines!). <\/p>\n

Some say that a week\u2019s worth of summer camp can be equal to a year\u2019s worth of Sunday school for campers. It\u2019s possible. In a week of camp, numerous times a day, campers experience scripture lessons, messages catered to their age and learning styles, community and skill-building activities, as well as worship, table fellowship, and experiencing God\u2019s creation in nature.<\/p>\n

An interesting phenomenon forms. Leaders hear campers say they want to be L.I.T.s or Cabin Leaders or Deans. These campers see the leaders around them working together and they want to emulate that in the future. They want to teach the scripture, and lead a community that cares for one another. <\/p>\n

Campers who become camp leaders themselves often become leaders in their churches. Leading in a week-long summer camp is intense. It challenges a person to think quickly, and care for campers uniquely, testing patience and boundaries of love; it is a crucible for servant leadership. Coming to camp each year as a camper and then as a leader is a natural progression, and the opportunities to serve are innumerable. <\/p>\n

As with our faith, PNW camps are striving towards perfection. Our four camp sites here in the PNW Conference provide excellent leadership development, and help fulfill our vision of being at the \u201cforefront of making disciples of Jesus Christ and raising up Christian leaders for the transformation of the world.\u201d Our conference is better and more complete because of these sacred spaces where leadership culture is grown.<\/p>\n

TO BE CONTINUED!<\/p>\n

\n

Peter Fraser serves as the chair for the Camping Board of Stewards in the PNWUMC<\/em><\/center><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why Camp? Camp is a vehicle for developing leaders! By Peter Fraser PNW Camps are Petri dishes of leadership. Instead of growing microorganisms, they contain a perfect culture for growing leaders. Leadership development is at the core of our conference foci. The vision of the Camping Board of Stewards is that \u201cCamping and Retreat Ministries […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":11232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[277,111,112],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11231","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-camping","8":"category-channels","9":"category-ministries-with-young-people"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IDEAS_WhyCamp_2.jpg?fit=741%2C486&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2l75j-2V9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11231"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11235,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11231\/revisions\/11235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}